The ANC has reiterated that it is still discussing the model of coalition governments as coalition squabbles continue to cause ructions and instability at municipalities.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina says this is one of the issues raised by President Cyril Ramaphosa and senior officials to their members at the weekend during the party’s three-day lekgotla held in Gauteng.
Majodina said Ramaphosa, his deputy Paul Mashatile and party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told members of the caucus that the issue of coalitions was high on the ANC’s agenda.
Mbalula said several weeks ago, the ANC had appointed its head of political education, David Makhura, to lead a task team on coalitions.
There has been a significant increase in coalitions after the 2021 local government elections after a number of municipalities were without outright winners.
According to Majodina, the ANC’s top seven has urged members of the caucus not to be distracted by members of other political parties.
“They (top seven) also called on ANC MPs to exercise maximum organisational discipline in performing their duties in both Houses of Parliament and avoid distractions by some opposition parties. The officials also informed the lekgotla that an NEC task team has been established to look at the model of coalition governments,” said Majodina.
The number of hung municipalities increased from about 30 in the 2016 local government elections to 81 in the last polls in 2021.
This led to calls by the South African Government Local Government Association for the review of coalitions.
Salga president Bheki Stofile says the current arrangements were creating instability in municipalities as political squabbles escalated and mayors removed after a short period.
Stofile went further to call for lawmakers to conduct a legislative review to stop instability in municipalities.
Parliamentarians have since travelled overseas on study tours to look at coalition systems there.
In their last trip, they visited one of the Scandinavian countries that has had coalitions for decades.
Current Affairs